Jun 7, 2011

Prospects: Kirill Petrov Doubtful for Prospect Camp

Prospect Kirill Petrov said the #Islanders are inviting him to NA. He said he can't make a decision now due to "serious family problems."

No word on when exactly the Islanders are holding prospect camp yet.

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CH: Chris Botta reported that Petrov's mother is seriously ill, which is the reason Petrov won't be able to attend the camp. Family always comes first, so there is no reason to question Petrov's commitment to the Islanders or coming to the NHL. The time for that would be after next season, when he will be a KHL free agent and eligible to sign a contract anywhere in the world. The Islanders hold Petrov's rights in perpetuity, which means there won't be any "Wheeler/Gregoire/Kessel" situation for Petrov to become a free agent.

As Botta alluded to in his article, the Islanders don't regret picking Petrov. They shouldn't. Petrov was a great gamble in that spot, and at age 21 still has all the time in the world to come to North America to play in the NHL. He was very impressive at last year's prospect camp and showed serious signs that his game would translate to the North American style. Keep an eye out this year for updates on Petrov's progress in Kazan (he was loaned back from Yugra recently).

AT: It's always seemed as if Petrov wants to come to the NHL. If he does, great. If he doesn't, it's not like he was a first round bust. Hoping for the best with Petrov's mother and hoping he can get everything worked out and put his life on the track he wants it to be. Good luck this year, Kirill.